Religious Pluralism + theology

• Phenomena: 


  A kantian term to describe reality as it appears to us filtered by the human mind
• Noumena 


  a Kantian term to describe reality as it really is, unfiltered by the human mind
• Vatican II


  Second Vatican Ecumentical Council, held from 1962-1965, to discuss the place of the Catholic Church in the modern world
• Pluralism


  the view that there are many ways to salvation through different religious traditions
• Particularism 


  alternative name for exclusivism, meaning that salvation can only be found in one particular way
• Inclusivism 


  view that although one's own religion is the normative (setting standard of normality) means of salvation, those who accept its central principles may also receive salvation
• Theology of religion(s)


  branch of Christian theology that looks at the relationship between Christianity and other world religions from a Christian perspective
• Inter-Faith Dialogue 


  sharing and discussing religious beliefs between members of different religious traditions, with an aim to reach a better understanding
• Exclusivism 


  the view that only one religion offers the complete means of salvation
• Exclusivism:

  • name given to the belief that salvation can only be found through Christianity and that other religions cannot lead people to the right relationship with God
  • most Christians believe that Christ's sacrificial death on the cross was a unique event
  • Jesus' sacrifice brought salvation
  • only through hearing the Gospel can a person be saved - going through Baptism
  • giving up on the old ways of life
  • known as Particularists
• For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

  John 3:16 - exclusivism
•  Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

  John 14:6 - exclusivism
• Narrow Exclusivism:

  • view that only a particular denomination of Christianity will achieve salvation
  • Bible Believing Christians take the word of the Bible literally (sola scriptura) - only those who have the same view of scripture are saved
  • God elects through grace only a small number of Christians for heaven
  • Some Catholics - believed in "extra ecclesiam nulla salus" =there is no salvation outside the church - attitudes began to change after Vatican II
• What did D'Costa say about narrow exclusivism?

  Called them restrictive - access exclusivists
• Broad exclusivism:

  • will accept Christ through faith are saved regardless of denomination
  • some say - only partial truth can be found within other religions
  • BUT SALVATION IS ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH CHRISTIANITY
• What did D'Costa say about broad exclusivism?

  called them Universal - Access exclusivists
• Name 2 Narrow Exclusivists

  Augustine and Calvin
• This is good, and pleases God our Savior,  who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

  1 Timothy 2: 3-4 -- Broad Exclusivists
• What type of exclusivist was Hendrick Kraemer


  Broad
• What type of exclusivist was Karl Barth?

  Broad exclusivist
• What does Hendrick Kraemer believe?

  Non Christians cannot achieve salvation through their own faith systems but have to convert to Christianity. Revelation can be seen by others but can only be found in Christ. Religion as a whole either accesses salvation offered by Christ or it doesn't. Nature and human reason. Can't pick out beliefs from other faiths - key idea
• What does Karl Barth believe?

  People cannot know God through their own efforts, God has to choose to reveal himself through Jesus, the church and the Bible. Bible + church become the word of God when God chooses to reveal himself. God cannot be found through human efforts even if people were good. Not through our own efforts. God's revelation through Jesus is very unique
• What criticisms could be made towards Karl Barth's ideas?

  In the book of James he said that faith without action was dead. Why would this line be in the Bible if actions didn't matter = similarly to the sheep and the goats. Relying on one verse for his beliefs. God revealing himself in different ways is contradictory - Johns Gospel.
• What criticisms could be made towards Hendrick Kraemer?

  What about Christians who are horrible, would they still be saved, eventhough their actions are bad. Picks and chooses within Christianity. Too quick to write of other faiths. Faulty reasoning
• Inclusivism:

  • only Christianity has the truth because only Christianity has Jesus
  • BUT - salvation can occur if they have never heard of Christianity - such as those before Christ
  • God's omnibenevolence allows for the possibility of non-Christians being saved - AS LONG AS they haven't rejected Christ
  • SOME - Christ is in other religions but under other names, may give a chance to people after death
• What is the name of Karl Rahner's book?

  Theological Investigations - 1967
• What denomination was Karl Rahner?

  Catholic
• What is Karl Rahner's key line/idea?

  The Anonymous Christian
• Anonymous Christian means...

  not aware they're Christians, unknown Christians
• Karl Rahner - Inclusivism

  • Christianity unique - salvation through God himself in the form of Jesus
  • Christianity is the absolute religion in which all others should be measured
  • rejected exclusivist ideas because a loving God wouldn't do that
  • 'partial truth' in other religions - don't know the truth of Jesus - other religions can lead to Christianity and thus salvation
  • religions aren't equal paths to God
• Karl Rahner - cont'd

  • God through Christ saved people
  • led to the Catholic Church having a more inclusivist view after the Second Vatican Ecumencial Council (1962-1965)
  • Lumen Gentium - A Light to the Nations - stated that who who through o fault of their own didn't know Christ but had a sincere heart could be saved
• Passages that support inclusivism:

  • Romans 2:14 - 16 --  They show that the requirements of the law are written on their heart
  • Matthew 25: 33 - 40 - Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
  • Paul in his letter to the romans -- Gentiles who do not have the law to do by themselves what the law requires even without having heard it
  • Jesus speaking in the gospel of Matthew -- Truly I tell you what you did for others you did for me
• Criticisms of Inclusivism:

  • Hans Urs von Balthasar - Catholic and Colleague of Rahner - disagreed
  • fierce critic of the Anonymous Christian
  • Jesus crucifixion and resurrection --> central to human salvation
  • He said that the church should not water down their beliefs of Christ's salvation to appease people
• Describe the parable of the blind men and the elephant (links to pluralism)

  • originated in India
  • Bling men touch an elephant - each part being a different part such as the skin or the tusk
  • men argue as they understand the elephant differently - although its the same animal
• John Hick's Pluralist View:

  • originally an evangelical Christian - convinced Christianity was the only way to be saved
  • However - after working in Birmingham he came into contact with good people from other faiths -- loving God wouldn't punish them for not being Christians
  • Copernican Revolution --- change the revolution and ideas that were previous - inspired Hick
  • believed in noumenal and phenomenal - distinction
• John Hick's Pluralist View: cont'd

  • argued that religion is human, phenomenal attempt to understand and relate to God
  • all religions are human constructs - whether we filter God or not is our choice
  • Christianity should not be understood as the truth
  • Originally thought that God was in the centre
  • However this changed to having the Real in the centre
  • Jesus and the virgin birth were metaphorical rather than fact
• Raimon Panikkar and pluralism:

  • came from a mixed faith family - Spanish Catholic Mother, Indian Hindu Father
  • He met and studied with Christian Monks who had embraced the spiritual richness of India - culturally Hindu and Buddhist
  • Panikkar was influenced by Aquinas and compared to Hindu writings
  • did not claim to have uncovered the truth
  • emphasised the mystery of the divine
  • Christophony -- Christ plain to human consciousness
  • necessary to respect the freedom of God
• Quote from Raimon Panikkar:

  I left Europe a Christian, I discovered I was a Hindu and returned as a Buddhist without ever having ceased to be a Christian